The BYU Centennial Carillon is a
bell tower containing a
carillon on the campus of
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
(BYU) in
Provo, Utah, United States.
Description
The
bell tower was dedicated in October 1975 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the school's founding. Built in a simple, modern style designed by architect
Fred L. Markham, it is tall with 99 steps up a spiral stair case and 11 steps up a ladder to the carillon. The carillon contains 52 bells and the bells range in size from 25 lbs to 4,730 lbs.
The carillon tolls a tune based on the hymn "
Come, Come, Ye Saints
"Come, Come, Ye Saints" (originally "All is Well") is one of the best-known Latter-day Saint hymns. The lyrics were written in 1846 by Mormon poet William Clayton. The hymn has been called the anthem of the nineteenth-century Mormon pioneers. ...
," followed by the hour, and tolls a chime on the half-hour. The hour and half-hour strikes are controlled by an automated system.
Carillonneur
A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmonio ...
s may also play the instrument by means of a keyboard located directly below the belfry, in a small room reached by a spiral staircase that ascends through the center of the tower.
The carillon was constructed by Paulsen Construction Company with Markham & Markham Architects and Engineers doing the design work.
BYU is owned by
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church), and its carillon is the only such instrument the church owns. LDS churches rarely feature bell towers, and the only
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
to contain even a single bell is the
Nauvoo Illinois Temple
The Nauvoo Illinois Temple is the 113th dedicated temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is the third such temple that has been built in Illinois (the original Nauvoo Temple and Chicago Illinois Temple bein ...
.
See also
*
List of carillons in the United States
Carillons, musical instruments of bells in the percussion family, are found throughout the United States. Several institutions register and count them. Some registries specialize in counting specific types of carillons. For example, the War Mem ...
References
External links
{{Coord, 40, 15, 10, N, 111, 38, 51, W, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:US-UT
Towers completed in 1975
Brigham Young University buildings
Bell towers in the United States
Carillons
Tourist attractions in Provo, Utah
1975 establishments in Utah